A night in the slammer
by thelastshipsuperfan
Summary: After Eugene tries to attack a Savior during the peak of war, he's thrown in a cell and is left to think over his last few decisions over the past months when a familiar face is thrown in beside him.


He could almost smell the bitter scent of Iron from the blood on his bleeding lip, slowly making a trail from his fat, plump bottom lip, down his chin and on his once freshly cleaned garment. He sniffs a little, taking in his new reality. The reality he so desperately ran from, but knew when push came to shove he'd have to face. He tried to kill a savior, kill one of Negans men, murder another human being. And although he didn't succeed, it was well more than enough to be viciously attacked and thrown in a damp, humid, brick closet. Thinking back on the last half hour he begins to chuckle softly, a kitchen knife, he tried to kill with a kitchen knife. Salty tears and sweat travel from his face as he cracks a smile here and there, he wouldn't be ashamed to admit he might be losing it. He had no one, he was back to being alone just like before all hell broke loose and the dead got wild hairs up their asses. Nobody was waiting for him in Alexandria, and nobody trusted him in the sanctuary. Completely and utterly alone. It was a cold fact to come to terms with yet he kept smirking. Maybe because he saw it coming, he pushed loved ones away because of how afraid he was of being alone, being casted out, hated, ignored, forgotten. And yet, in this very moment, he was left completely alone, contemplating his new found 'freedom' of sorts. He had no one to impress, to love, to follow. He was free to make his own choice, to live or to die. Frankly, the man was still caught somewhere in the middle. He was a man of science, he was a logical thinker, he didnt believe in an afterlife. It wouldn't make sense would it? How would an all powerful, all loving God do this to not only people who followed him, not only people who had no knowledge of him but complete and utter innocence. Doesn't matter how coddled you are during the end of the world, you see things, things you can't unsee. Eugene was no stranger to seeing things that were almost impossible to get out of one's head. Half of the reason he was a nervous wreck was because he fell asleep to such images. Continues nightmares on a loop, never ending, always there. He looks forward as faint footsteps echo through the halls outside the door, he furrows his eyebrows as the sound of screaming and yelling get closer and closer. He sniffs as the door swings open, he flinches but doesn't dare to look toward the danger. He watches forward in tunnel vision as a woman is pushed in forcefully, she lets out a yelp as her head whips down and up off the concrete ground. The slamming door prompts another flinch, so does the woman. She slowly lifts herself off the ground and groans, she yells out angrily, a shaking pain plaguing her voice. She wipes her nose as blood rushes down past her lips and into her mouth. She looks at the man huddled into the corner, he eyes for a split second light up, but soon squint as her bottom lip quivers "Eugene?" She whimpers. He stares forward, reluctant to look at a woman that in the past caused him so much pain, someone he caused pain to as well. He glances at Rosita then back at the wall, he takes in her appearance briefly. Her tore up tank, dusty head to toe, blood coming from her nose and mouth, scabbed up cuts on her forehead and a slightly swollen black eye, a sight for sore eyes indeed. Rosita looks at him sadly, but soon, that sadness turns into rage, burning rage. She could feel it in the pit of her stomach, the hot tears at the corners of her eyes, the clouded judgement prompted her into attacking him, assaulting him mercilessly. She yells out as almost in the blink of an eye, her hands are around his neck tightly, squeezing down as she screams. Eugene struggles against her grip, taking his fingernails and scratching her wrists, drawing blood in desperation. He kicks his legs, trying to remove her from his lap, but she kept at it. He started to blackness, more than just the absence of a nice light. Real darkness, the type that screams _you're dying_ and still he just merrily groans. He slowly let his arms fall limp, giving up his fight for life.

As Rosita continues her viscous bet for Eugene's life, her expression begins to fall, flashbacks of bad times and good times start to play on a loop in her head. She watches as his face slowly turns a faint shade of purple, her grip losing its strength. Her feelings, the actions she took to Eugene all felt justified, she had regrets, sorrows and over all fuck ups, yet she still felt righteous. After all, this was the man that betrayed her, lied to her, left her. She starts to shake as she cries out, letting go of his neck and falling off his lap and onto her side. She cries softly, in such emotional distress. Eugene takes a huge gulp for air and immediately brings his own hands to his neck, trying to brings himself back to stability. He pants vigorously as he tries to breath, still not daring to look at her. She shakes her head slowly as she cries

"S..sorry…." She groans sitting up and sitting down on the cold damp floor. She scoots back against the wall sitting next to Eugene. For a second he thought, what goddamn right does she think she has. She just _attacked_ him, tried to murder him take his life as some type of trophy. If he wasn't as weak as he was at the current troubling moment, he would have no regrets about attacking back. He starts to slow his breathing into a groan, almost breathing from the gut. She lays her head back onto the concrete wall, her chest heaving, beads of sweat rolling down her temples

"Why'd you do it?" She whispers looking to him.

She lets out a breathy laugh in annoyance at his lack of a answer. Eugene wasn't going to answer to her, not after that. He sniffs slowly and zones into one part of the wall in anger, it was bubbling up inside the pit of his stomach. Thick, black steaming anger.

"Eugene." she says, emphasizing on the _E_ "Why did you do it?" She wanted to understand.

He slowly turns his head to her, panting softly "After the events that have just taken place, I don't think I owe you an explanation. We are even" He speaks bitterly and looks forward.

Rosita stares at him in disbelief "Even?" She speaks in almost In a whisper "How the hell do you think we're even?"

He coughs a little and weakly sits up "You tried to take my life. I reckon I've made a few decisions that could've very well resulted in your demise. So I dare say we are both on even playing ground"

Rosita looks to him "I didn't try to kill you.I was taking my anger out on you... frustration…" She crosses her legs over each other taking in a sharp inhale.

Eugene shrugs, he looks forward, ignoring her again.

He cared for her. Not a lot of people would say that was true, but it was. After Abraham died, he felt a huge responsibility placed on his shoulders. She was a very capable woman, anyone could see that, and so did Abraham and so did he but it still didn't change the feeling. That's what Abraham would want, for him to keep their little group steady. Something Eugene wanted as well but wasn't strong enough to rise to the occasion. After his and Rositas little fight in the bullet compound, he threw the entire idea out the window. Eugene did pride himself on the fact that he risked his life for hers, he was sure that Abraham would appreciate that.

She groans and rubs her eyes "So, how'd you get thrown in here?" She looks to him with her big brown eyes.

He takes a shaking deep breath looking forward, keeping his silence.

She narrows her eyes "Eugene"

He closes his eyes.

"Eugene"

He looks to her quickly "DON'T YOU SEE I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU!?" He yells

She moves back slowly, shocked at his outburst. She felt tears sting her eyes as she looked forward sadly. He was trapped, she could tell. She didn't know whose side he was on, if he was even on a side at all. He seemed to be trapped in a box where he was his only friend, she'd let him be, that's what she wanted but that wasn't what she could do. They NEEDED Eugene. Rick had been so gun obsessed he forgot completely about ammunition and they were running low, very low.

He brings his hand over his face "I tried to kill a savior... I heard the gunfire, sounded to me you were losing ten to one so I did my part to help…"

Rosita looks to him a bit taken back, she wasn't quick to believe him, she heard all the sob stories before. Taking a deep breath she looks to his hands which were swollen and bleeding, she shakes her head "Why?"

He looks to her, shaking slightly "I made a mistake, I am man enough to admit that. I have my reason as do others. But I won't bother explaining them, they'll just sound like excuses to you..."

She groans and gets her bandana out "I mean... what else are we going to do?"

He huffs a little and looks forward shaking his head slowly, he feels as she slowly lifts his arm up. Eugene quickly turns his head back to her, panic settling in "Wh..what are you doing?" He stutters.

Rosita looks to him as if he's ridiculous, which he was to her "Your hand is bleeding like a son of a bitch" She starts to wrap the cloth around it slowly, still possessing that care giving nature towards him. He nods slowly and looks forward taking a shaky deep breath.

"I visited the compound…" She looks down at his hand intently "Do they know about it?" She glances up at him and back to his hand.

He looks to his hand "I may have mentioned it once or twice... Negan does not have the location."

"Good" She ties his hand and slowly stands, taking a deep breath thinking. Eugene reaches in his pocket, his eyes widen, the last pill.

Rosita looks around the cell block and pushes the loose hairs back "We have to come up with a way to get out of here, I'll assume you know this place liken the back of your hand?" She brings her two hands against the walls, knocking on them once or twice.

He looks up at her as she does "Well I guess... I'm not sure I know-" before he could finish, Rosita looks down at him, her stare intense.

"I think you do, we're getting the hell out of here"

He looks down sadly, he stands sighing "I just-"

Rosita looks to him angrily "You just what Eugene!? You can't!? You don't want to?! You're already dead, so what the hell is the difference!? Are you scared?" She comes up to him slowly "I am too! I've been scared! We're all scared! There's an asshole with a baseball bat and an _army_ ready to attack! Okay!? We're all panicking!"

He looks at her, he didn't know what he wanted.

"It's time you make a decision"

He groans and rubs his fist "I..I should say no…"

Rosita comes up to him quickly "No. You shouldn't. Look." She takes a deep breath "I am sorry. I am" She shrugs and crosses her arms "I know you don't believe me, I know you're angry... we all are…" She brings her pointer finger up "But we have _one_ chance to stop this, all of this. We can be _free_ again Eugene, you'll never have to be afraid again. Never." She grabs his jacket "I just need you to be brave for once, I need you to be strong"

He looks down at her hopeful and strong eyes, slowly tricking him into a sense of security. He gulps looking at her hands on his chest, a pink blush brushed across his cheeks. Rosita slowly brings her hands from his chest, blushing just the same. He takes a deep breath, tears stinging his eyes. Memories of Abraham and Glenn flooding his mind, making the guilt settle in. Rosita looks at him and grabs Eugene's face, her expression softens, seeing as the grown man begins to weep. She takes her thumb and slowly wipes a thick tear away. She bites her lip as it begins to quiver.

"Nothing's impossible until your heart stops beating." She speaks softly, caressing his cheek with her thumb.

He closes his eyes, letting the last tears fall. He groans a little and looks to her nodding, making his final decision. He knew the risk, but in this fragile moment, he knew it was a risk he had to take. For himself, the woman in front of him and Alexandria "Well What I say to that is let's go kick some Savior ass." He looks to her and cracks a smile.

Rosita smiles, she couldn't be prouder.


End file.
